Other answers also needed
The development of alternative fuels will not solve the problem of growing CO2 emissions from airlines, it was claimed today (January 15).
Tim Johnson, director of the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), said from what is currently known, the growth in aviation would outstrip any reductions in emissions brought about by alternative fuels.
Mr Johnson told a forum on "ECO-nomics - the reality of a green programme" organised by the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) that technology had a good record in aviation.
Aircraft today were much cleaner and less noisy than those in the 1960s.
But they still emitted 30m tons of CO2 a year and this was set to double by 2040-2050.
He said other answers had to be found, like the UK government's Airport Passenger Duty (APD).
"This does not mean that the government is anti-aviation. What they are trying to highlight is that if our emissions are going to double or even treble, what the consequences will be and that we must have other answers," he told the Forum in London.
He said the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) would start in January 2012 and the level of emissions from each airlines would be capped.
But he warned that it would only have a slight affect on the level of emissions.
He said the growth of carbon emissions by 2020 of 142% would only be cut to 135%.
There would also be the extra cost of from €0.9-€4.6 per ticket on short haul, rising to €7.9-€9.6 on long haul flights and it was not yet known how much of this airlines would pass on.
www.aef.org.uk